Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Review - I'd know you anywhere by Laura Lippman

Eliza is married to Peter two children, a stay at home mother who enjoys being a housewife and mother. Go back twenty years where Eliza known as Elizabeth then was abducted and held for five weeks by a manipulative man who ultimately raped her and then surprisingly let her go. The one who got away almost as it were as he did murder all the other girls he abducted.

Now Walter is on death row with just weeks to go for his execution and he is trying to use everything he can including Eliza to get a stay order on this execution. Even after twenty years Walter does know how to manipulate people very well and counts on Eliza's innate goodness to get his own way.

The book confronts one with many questions. Are our memories always reliable - do we only try to remember what we want to remember. I tend to go with this as everyone does not like to remember the niggling, painful bits which we prefer to store away as if it is not there. Secondly, how does one get over such a huge stumbling block and get on with our life the way Eliza has done. She is to a great deal very comfortable in her situation as a wife and mother - as a daughter to her parents, as a sister to Vonnie who dominates and resents her in turn and yet Eliza remains above it all. Is this possible?

The story is not an unusual one but it is the handling of the story by this author that takes it out of the ordinary. One thing I did learn from the book is that not taking a decision is also an option and also a kind of decision in itself. You do not always have to choose and decide. You can also just let it be.

This was my first read in Melbourne. I tend to go crazy in the library when I see all the books available but this time I am pacing myself so that I also read and enjoy the books.